Life Is But A Game
by E. Feather
Summary: *Chp 6 is up! Love is in the air~!* Being a hero is a noble thing, but being a leader of 100+ not-all normal beings is another story. Based on Suikoden2, this tells of the various things and situations Hero has to face...poor kid...(ideas welcomed~)
1. The Joy Of The Game

**Life Is But A Game**

Author's Notes: Firstly, I do not own any of the characters in this fanfiction. They belong to Konami's Genso Suikoden 2. Everything in this fanfic belongs to the game. I just elaborate on it...

Here's a fic on how hard it is to be a Suikoden hero. Since McDohl has disappeared somewhere, I decided to write on Suikoden 2. This shows the different scenarios in the hero's' journey and he had to deal with it. There may be some Out-Of-Characterness. Let me know if I should continue...Btw, the Hero's name here is Riou.

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Adjusting his tonfa, Riou set out to Muse with Jowy and his new friend, Pilika. She was a sweet kid, very energetic and spontaneous too. However, bringing her along may not be a smart choice, as there is always danger out there in the world map. Jowy did not seem to worry though. Off they went, out into the world map where Riou looked the biggest. Suddenly a loud suspense sound appeared and Riou was in his battle pose. Jowy was standing next to him with his staff and...where was Pilika? It seemed Jowy read his thought and said,

"Don't worry, Riou. She would be safe up there."

Up...there? Riou turned at the direction Jowy was pointing and there she was, sitting high up on a tree branch, cheering them up. How Pilika ended up there was beyond anyone's imagination, but what was worse was the enemy they faced.

There was only one enemy and it squawked angrily. It was a fat, yellow bird with tiny wings. It's amazing how it could even float. Apparently, the tree Pilika landed on was its nest, so now it was fighting them. There seriously was no reason to fight, but hey, the boys do need the extra EXP. 

Jowy attacked first, thinking there was no need for a Unite to defeat this thing. Riou attacked next, striking twice with his tonfa. Amazingly, anger could make one's defense higher. The bird was weakened, but not dead, so it cried out and lunged at Riou. He could not believe it. That heavy ball of feathers actually took 5 of his HP. This was getting ridiculous. Impatient, Jowy prepared for Unite. As they circled around the bird, Riou asked Jowy why they were doing so.

"Well, technical-wise, this is to confuse the enemy before we attack together, but I think it's just to make this technique look cool."

This time, the bird disappeared in mid-air and Riou counted the EXP he gained. A certain screen usually appear with the party's picture and attributes after every battle, followed by the amount of potch they earned. Pilika was back at Jowy's side and once again, Riou's body enlarged as he walked around the world map. Not five steps later, they entered another battle zone. Riou, ready for battle, realized their enemies were friends of the bird they just killed.

_This...is going to be a long game..._

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It was a beautiful morning, or at least, the name of the BG music said so. Riou woke up to begin another day. His castle has grown as he recruited more people, more weird people, if he might add. He could hear the sounds of people buzzing through the small shopping area and people training in the dojo. He was rather amazed at the buildings in his castle. It was like a tiny town already. There was a restaurant, dojo, library, theatre, public bath, cemetery, dock, dungeon, farm, lake, meeting hall and lots more. He could not help but feel a sense of pride. All these people came here to fight with him and they respected him. Deep down, he felt miserable as every day he grew nearer to fighting his own best friend. But he was glad he was able to help many find a home, save a few people or...beings, and that made this cause seem worthwhile.

Riou went down the stairs to the next level. Though they had an elevator, it was really much faster by stairs. Stopping by the Suggestion Box, Riou had the duty of checking for mail every morning. Sometimes he would reply them, but most of the time, the letters would be senseless. Today there were four letters in the mailbox. Riou took the patience to read each one though he was preparing for the worst.

Title: HE HE HE!!

This is a cursed letter. If you don't pass it on to 5 more people, you'll be cursed. Have a nice day.

Sid

_...He put a chain letter in the Suggestion Box?_ Thought Riou as he placed the letter aside. He had always thought Sid was a spooky man, so he had Richmond investigate him. The results were not very helpful, but at least they knew Sid was not an enemy.

Title: OKAY, HOW ABOUT THIS?

I'm going to try a more mature approach. How's this sound: "Ciao, Flik. How ARE you? I'm laying in bed in my pajamas…" 

From Nina

_Ugh..._Riou tossed the letter on top of Sid's as though it was on fire. He did not need to finish reading the letter, as he knew what it was about. This was not the first time Nina asked for advice on how to seduce Flik. Perhaps he should tell Nina never to go near the box again. Hunting Flik down did not affect Riou, but this, this was getting out of hand. Indeed, Riou had heard from many that Flik is handsome and all, but Riou also knew Flik's love story from Viktor. Nina had no chance, not even ten years later! Pitying Flik, Riou recalled the times when Flik would disguise himself as an old man, hid in all corners of the castle and even stayed a whole night in the men's bathroom to escape Nina. It would seem quite cute if she was not so annoying.

Title: MU-MU!!

MUMUMU? Mu-Mu, Mu!!! MUMUMU..... 

... Placing the letter with the rest, Riou let out a deep sigh. Was it necessary to write if no one could understand? Was it necessary to read these mails every day? Why did he recruit all these...these beings in the first place?! Of course, to gather all 108 Stars Of Destiny and thus, being able to defeat Highland. But why? Why could he not just fight Jowy and get it over with? Being a hero was a noble thing, but being a leader of this castle was almost impossible! Crying internally, Riou was afraid to open the last letter.

Title: MY SECOND GREAT LETTER

The castle is too hot. Also there are too many people. Why don't you ask some of the less important people to leave?

Zamza

_Perhaps you should leave, Zamza... _Riou was in the brink of crushing the letter. Each time he met Zamza one of his hair would turn white. At first Zamza proved to be quite powerful, but his boasting was even more powerful. The instant a magic wielder appeared, Riou put him in the party, even if that person is Luc. No one could stand him. There was once when Riou saw him eating alone, he approached Zamza out of pity. However, Zamza had not changed. Instead, he went furious that Riou disturbed his meal and telling him off for letting his powers go to waste.

_It's going to be a long day..._

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	2. The Prize

**Life Is But A Game**

Author's Notes: Firstly, I do not own any of the characters in this fanfiction. They belong to Konami's Genso Suikoden 2. Everything in this fanfic belongs to the game. I just elaborate on it...

Here's a fic on how hard it is to be a Suikoden 2 hero. This shows the different scenarios in the hero's journey and he had to deal with it. There may be some Out-Of-Characterness. Btw, the Hero's name here is Riou.

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Finally, they reached the castle. Everyone was exhausted after the war and they excused themselves. Shu went back to his room, no one knew to rest or come up with another plan. The knights retreated to their rooms after a formal goodnight and many headed for Leona's bar. Viktor and Flik stayed and asked if Riou wanted to freshen up with a hot bath. That sounded like the greatest idea out of a genius' mind at that time. Riou agreed and as he went out to get the towels, he heard Nina's voice,

"Flik honey! Where are you? You must be tired after the war. Let me soothe your muscles dear!... Viktor! Have you seen Flik?"

Raising his eyebrows, Riou understood why Flik was called Blue Lightning. There was not a trace left of Flik in that room as Viktor lied to Nina. Laughing softly, Riou made his way to the laundry. 

Yoshino was washing tons of laundry again. Sometimes Riou wondered if she was the real hero behind it all. All bed sheets, tablecloths, curtains, clothes and other fabric was under her charge. Occasionally Riou noticed a few of the women lending a hand, but most of the time, Yoshino would be handling everything herself. Noticing someone coming, Yoshino looked up and beamed,

"Why, isn't it Lord Riou! How may I help you?" 

Yoshino was always so sweet. Riou asked for some clean towels and Yoshino smiled,

"There are some spotless towels on the dry now. Could you please wait a while for them to dry up?"

Riou nodded in gratitude and wandered towards the ledge. There was a soldier by the ledge, looking down as though he intended to commit suicide. The moment he saw Riou a huge grin appeared on his face,

"Lord Riou! Our great leader is here! Come, my lord, would you like to play a climbing competition?"

_There is a mini-game here? _Thought Riou as he moved closer to the ledge. The land below was full of trees and he noticed three ropes hanging down from the ledge.

"All you need to do is climb up the ledge as fast as you can and beat your opponents! Great prizes await you here!"

That sounded easy enough and so Riou agreed. Before he could ask to get down there the soldier gave a nice kick and off went Riou over the ledge.

_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_Thrush Crash Thud! Apparently the ground below was soft, or at least they made it that way. Riou cursed the soldier for not letting him prepare himself. In fact, Riou noticed his tonfa and money pouch were gone! He was still their leader, how could they treat him like this?

"Are you ready, Lord Riou??"

The soldier seemed like a speck on the ledge and it seemed Riou had no choice. He did not want to stay down there any longer and the sooner he got up, the sooner he could get to the bath. Before Riou could wonder who his opponents were, two soldiers appeared, wearing the exact same costume as he did, only in a different color. In fact, they even had the same hair. 

"Do you guys have to impersonate the contestant every time?"

The soldiers shook their heads in unison. One spoke up,

"No sir, as this is the first time someone is willing to play this game."

_Ok, I must be the only idiot who agreed to participate..._Riou got prepared to climb up his rope before he was given a yellow piece of cloth. He looked at the guard questioningly.

"This is for marking, sir."

With that the soldiers took their position, looking as though they had prepared for the worst. A beep was heard and Riou tried to climb. However, he couldn't move. He couldn't even get off the rope. He looked up and saw a huge dice rolling in mid-air. _What the..._

"Sir, this game is controlled by the dice. The higher the score is, the further you go."

The soldier sounded as though he was forced into this job. Riou was staring in disbelief, not knowing there was something else waiting for him. The dice showed 6, and so Riou's limbs automatically pulled him up six times. Now Riou was stuck to the rope until he reached the top. _Well, at least all I have to do now is wait for the dice to roll. _He no longer cared for the prize. He just wanted to get out of there. Nothing else could happen...right?

The first soldier got 4 and the second 6. Riou moved up two times in the second round, the guy next to him three. The third soldier, who had gotten 6 in the first round, tied his yellow cloth around the part of rope he was holding. Not understanding what 'marking' was, Riou waited for the dice to roll. The dice never rolled. A bird came out of nowhere and hit him on the head, sending him sliding down to the end of the rope. Stars circling his head, Riou looked up and saw he was way behind. The soldier with the yellow cloth looked down and said,

"Sir, you should have put a mark before you proceed. By doing so, you would fall only to the last spot you have marked."

Sure enough, the soldier next to him placed a mark, making him in the lead. Riou was loathing this game by the minute. _Who on earth thought up of such a NOT-fun game?_ He decided to cheat. He had a Lucky Ring in his pocket. He could use it as it could both raise Defense and boost Luck. Searching for his ring, Riou realized he had nothing on him. No Medicine, no special attire, just him, plain old him. Stressed, Riou decided to play this game to the end. By the time they reached the top, Riou had managed to get second place, though he could tell that one of the soldiers gave in. His competitors retreated into the castle, glad of a rest. The soldier who tricked him into the game smiled widely and said,

"You Lose!"

Riou felt like strangling him, but he felt exhausted. Though his limbs moved against his will, his muscles were used for the climb. He wished to have nothing to do with this soldier ever again. Miraculously, he got all his items back, but he could feel his money pouch lighter than it should be. _He didn't say I had to pay for the game!_ Knowing he had been beaten by this ungrateful soldier, he moved towards Yoshino, determined to get to his bath.

"Lord Riou! Here is your consolation prize!"

_Consolation prize? _Riou didn't want it. It was probably a bookmark or something. However, the soldier insisted. He handed Riou a rectangular, wooden box. It seemed to contain some things inside.

"You got a Boulder Set!"

_A what? _The soldier greeted him farewell as Riou dragged his prize towards Yoshino. Three towels stacked neatly in her arms, Yoshino smiled sympathetically when she saw Riou.

"I apologize for not warning you, Lord Riou, but rest assured, your prize is not found in any other place in the world."

_She knew? She knew of that psycho and did not tell me? Perhaps I'll just double her load... _Retribution in his mind, Riou took the towels with a curt 'thanks'. He would just sell this thing to Han or Alex. At least he could get some money back. Yoshino felt sorry and said,

"Your prize may not be worth much to sell, nor is it useful in battle, but if you bring it with you to a bath, you'll see its use, Lord Riou."

Riou did not know to laugh or cry. It sounded silly to create this thing just for a bath. He would try it though, as there was nothing else he could do with it. Besides, he wanted to know what was inside. It seemed like a year when he reached the bath. Tetsu was sitting there chewing a straw. 

"Lord Riou! I was wondering where you have gone! Flik and Viktor are already inside waiting for you."

Riou went in and found Flik and Viktor enjoying a nice marble bath, and surprisingly, Luc was at the corner silently enjoying his space, his face a little pink though. The walls were empty as all the nice paintings went to the girls' bath, but Riou was grateful they were not using the drum cans. At a corner was Karen's statue and the other was a Peeing Boy. Viktor insisted that Riou buy a Peeing Boy and said it could be sold at a higher price later. Riou should have guessed that Viktor wanted it all to himself. In fact, Viktor was relaxing at the spot where the Peeing Boy's pee poured on him. _Sick..._ Viktor spotted him and grinned, 

"Hullo Riou! What took you so long? You look more beaten than the last time I saw you. What happened?"

"Don't ask..."

Both Flik and Viktor looked at each other and shrugged. If the leader doesn't want to talk, he doesn't talk. Taking off the clothes stained with mud and fresh dirt with a couple of leaves sticking out, Riou took a towel and wrapped it around his waist. He rinsed himself before plunging into the pool and it was bliss. The warm soothing water seemed to chase away all his aches and cuts. Once they had guessed if Tetsu's bath wonders were generated by a Water Rune. Riou could feel his HP rising and he could just sleep away had not Viktor's voice rang out,

"Gosh, I knew the girl is a little blur, but I didn't think things could get so bad...at least for her."

Riou opened his eyes to see what the conversation was about. He spotted Luc moving slightly at the corner, scowling as his face had turned bright red. Flik saw Riou looking at them questioningly and so he said,

"Good thing you weren't here, Riou. Viki made a wrong turn and landed in here, the pool. It was quite a show. A bright light flashed and out dropped Viki. The poor girl's face turned-"

"Into a tomato I tell ya!"

Viktor interrupted before he laughed heartily. That explained Luc's embarrassment, and all the wet footprints along the way out. Viktor was telling about how she apologized profusely with her eyes closed and tripped on the way out. Flik noticed something Riou had left on the stool next to the pool and asked,

"What's in that box, Riou?"

That was the last thing he wanted to remember. Sighing deeply, Riou stretched out his arm and took his prize. He had brought it into the bath, but nothing was happening. He shook and turned and knocked, but it did not open. He told them about the climbing game and warned them never to go near it. Flik took the box and fiddled with it, its contents rattling. Luc had heard everything and though he was as interested as the rest of them were, he remained unmoved. Viktor leaned forward, curious,

"Not found in any other place in the world eh? Then why is it given as a prize in a game? And as a consolation prize at that... Hmm...Maybe it could turn into a rubber ducky!"

Viktor guffawed loudly. Viktor was a down-to-earth man. He spoke whatever was on his mind and Riou admired him for that. Flik, on the other hand, was always a romantic,

"Perhaps it requires magic to work. There might be a rare treasure inside, treasure only to the eyes of the beholder."

Viktor laughed out again. Riou couldn't help but chuckled. Flik was like an older brother to him, but sometimes Flik believes in the strangest things. Requires magic to work? That sounded so unlikely. Wait...if it could only be useful in a bath, which means... Riou took the box from Flik's inquisitive hands and shoved it into the water. 

"Riou, what-"

Before Viktor could finish his sentence, bubbles spewed and the box came up in a show if splashes. Everyone was still as they saw what had surfaced. Floating happily on warm water, the box had opened, revealing its contents for all to see.

"A Boulder Set..." was all Riou could mutter.

There was a cup, a small rectangular plate and a tiny bowl placed neatly on the box, which in turn acts as a tray. These items amazingly stood on the tray, not showing any signs of spilling its content due to the waves. The three men were most astonished at the display of mini food on the tray. Hot tea filled the air and a fried fish filled the plate. The bowl held warm rice and in between all this was the most compact chopsticks ever made. These could elongate. 

As the three stared blankly at the 'treasure' they discovered, Luc could no longer hold himself and his laughter rang throughout the bath. Never has he seen anything more entertaining. Viktor joined in the laugh, followed by a rather embarrassed Flik. Riou did not move as he gazed at the floating delicacy in front of him. _Who came up with this? _Deciding not to mourn the loss of his money, he picked up the chopsticks and took a bite. Before he could admit to himself it tasted good, everyone exploded. Luc, calming down after a chain of outbursts, stood to leave before his stomach burst, creating waves in the pool. No one could ever figure out how the food managed to save itself when it swayed unevenly. Viktor, laughing so hard one could not hear his words properly, patted Riou in the back,

"Well, R-Riou, I mu-ha-st say, you've gotten yerself a real treasure he-here!"

Riou thought so himself. Now he could take his meal in his bath, instead of having to try Nanami's experimental dishes.__

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	3. Life's Hard

**Life Is But A Game**

Author's Notes: Firstly, I do not own any of the characters in this fanfiction. They belong to Konami's Genso Suikoden 2. Everything in this fanfic belongs to the game. I just elaborate on it...

Here's a fic on how hard it is to be a Suikoden 2 hero. This shows the different scenarios in the hero's journey and he had to deal with it. There may be some Out-Of-Characterness. Btw, the Hero's name here is Riou.

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It is really hard to stay in a castle with more than a hundred important people and other beings, soldiers and refugees. Even staying up in the fourth level did not help. Though not shown to the audience on screen, sleeping at night could be a real pain for Riou.

Firstly, Shu would remind him of what has happened on that day and prepare him for the next.

"Lord Riou, we have lost 499 men today, but we managed to kill 500. The farm has not increased, as you have not collected enough seeds and Viki teleported a hoard of elephants into our castle in the evening. Tomorrow we would need to hold a funeral for all 499 men, send the elephants away and you must hunt for seeds. Have a good night, my lord. And one more thing, our lake has been contaminated for all the fish have surfaced showing purple bodies."

As Shu stepped out, the room shook with Nanami's more than noisy entrance.

"Riou!! How was my little brother's day? You must be tired after the war. Thank goodness you took the tonic soup I made for you. Come now, don't be shy. Let sister Nanami here tuck you in. Goodnight and sweet dreams!"

With that Nanami tucked Riou in his bed and planted a kiss on his forehead, not noticing the soldiers outside sniggering and Riou's red embarrassed face. Little did she know that her 'tonic soup' was the cause for the fishes' death in the lake. She slammed the door shut, warned the guards not to let her brother be harmed, which meant no night strolling for Riou, and walked back to her room. Riou heaved a deep sigh. Why must every night be so hard? Not that the days were any better, but he would really appreciate some good rest. You think he can rest now? You thought wrong.

There was no BGM, just sounds of crickets in the still night, or so we thought. What we players did not know was, the castle was full of noises at night and our hero had the privilege of hearing them all. 

Not ten minutes after he dozed off, Riou was awoken by the sound of wings. Feather usually slept at night, which could only leave three people - Chaco, who was probably sleeping somewhere, Sid, who had a big possibility, and Sierra, who hunted at night. A shadow passed Riou's window and he was convinced it was Sierra. Sid was unlikely to turn into a bat. Willing himself to go back to bed once the beating of wings disappeared, Riou was startled by the sound of something hitting something. _It must be Miklotov..._As much as Riou admire Miklotov's loyalty and his devotion to his principles, he wished Miklotov would sleep longer and train less. There was a loud banging on a door and Miklotov's punching moves stopped. _Thank you, Camus!_ Apparently, others have complaint about Miklotov's noisy training and Camus told him off. Now poor Miklotov could only continue his training silently with push-ups and sit-ups. Finally, Riou felt his head luring him to sleep, but something else was nagging in his ear. No wait, it was not nagging he heard, but snoring. Someone was snoring so loudly it reached the fourth floor, and not just one, but an orchestra of it. _This is why we should have gotten glass windows._ Riou pulled his blanket over him and tried to treat that unlikely symphony as a soothing lullaby.

When he could finally get some rest, someone barged through the door and shouted merrily,

"Good morning Riou! Big sister has come to wake you up!"

_Why me..._

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It was again another battlefield. Riou had become accustomed to being enlarged every time they walked on the world map. They had rescued Lady Teresa and were about to return to the castle when this group of...of black rabbits trying to look real threatening with their cutters showed up. Riou was shaking his head at the enemies he faced. Yes, there were some tough-looking ones like Highland soldiers, Banshees, Mirages and even wolves, but rabbits? Riou could beat them single-handedly if there wasn't the turn-based system. Flik and the knights shared the same notion as they drew their swords with a helpless expression plastered on their faces. Siegfried, however, just neighed in disgust and stood aside. Why had he come along in the first place? Oh right, Shu sent him so he could stop harassing the young ladies in the castle grounds. Where was Lady Teresa? A shiver went down Riou's spine. _Please, please don't let her be sitting on a tree... _He looked at all the trees around him and sighed in relief when he saw no trace of any human up there. Flik guessed what he was searching for and pointed to a large rock not far from Siegfried. _No... _The rock did not move. Apparently Lady Teresa did not disguise herself as the rock. Good. 

"Psst..."

Riou looked at the ground in front of the rock. A piece of grass moved and lifted to show Teresa's head bobbing up from a hole. Riou's eyes bulged at the sight.

"Lady Teresa! What are you doing down there?"

"Shh, Lord Riou. I was told to wait here until the fight is over. Besides, it is rather cozy in here. There's even a pack of instant coffee here."

_This could not be happening... _Riou wanted to cry, but his limbs automatically charged and attacked a black rabbit. It was a critical hit as Riou wanted to end the battle as fast as possible, so the enemy disappeared.

As he hopped back to position, he noticed Flik and the knights had formed a line with their swords in front of their chests. A question in his head, Riou nearly fell down when all three of them shouted,

"Pretty Boy Attack!"

In a flash Camus and Miklotov dashed front, crossing each other while Flik followed in a straight line. Riou just stood there, frozen, with a blank face. The rabbit vanished as they returned to their slots. Flik turned to Riou in an almost teary face,

"I did not want to do it, Riou. I really did not want to do it."

Obviously it was all the player's doing, as Riou could see the embarrassed face of Miklotov and Camus' shake of the head, though he seemed rather proud. EXP was counted and money received, Teresa hopped back onto track smelling like coffee. A few steps later, they were on for another fight. This time, they were lucky not to be fighting rabbits, but flat-faced squirrels. Teresa leapt into the allotted hole happily,

"Great, this time I can try the jasmine tea!"

Riou secretly prayed that he would not have to be in the next game.

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	4. Good Food Comes With a Price

**Life Is But A Game**

Author's Notes: Firstly, I do not own any of the characters in this fanfiction. They belong to Konami's Genso Suikoden 2 and maybe 1 as well. Everything in this fanfic belongs to the game. I just elaborate on it...

Here's a fic on how hard it is to be a Suikoden 2 hero. This shows the different scenarios in the hero's journey and he had to deal with it. There may be some Out-Of-Characterness. Btw, the Hero's name here is Riou.

_____________________________

_I do not believe this..._Riou thought as he stood behind Hai Yo, waiting for their cue to march into the battle area. Earlier that day, Riou went to the restaurant to fill up his growling stomach, only to bump into a huge crowd of onlookers. Squeezing through the packed audience Riou stood in between two groups, which seemed like cat and dogs. Hai Yo was standing on one side, looking unusually grim. The opposite side was a man in blue clothes Riou never met. If he didn't own such a huge castle with different people moving in and out every day, Riou would have suspected the man as an enemy. He was going to remain silent in his position when Hai Yo saw his bright clothes,

"Lord Riou! Thank goodness you are here! I need your help!"

Riou reluctantly stepped into the spotlight and had taken the place of Hai Yo in receiving death stares from the man in blue. Riou found out that the man in blue was indeed an enemy. _I shall talk to Shu about letting too many people in and out the castle so easily. If only my night guards are as lenient... _The man in blue had come demanding a recipe from Hai Yo and would not return until he has it. Riou thought it would be fine to help. A little show of skills would scare him away, so he agreed to help. After all, who else was there to cook for his people (and him) if Hai Yo was injured? Little did he know that the task was way more difficult than he thought.

Here Riou stood behind the curtains, with a pink chef hat similar to Hai Yo's, but smaller and more...feminine. _This must be Nanami's... _True, Nanami had tried several times to cook in Hai Yo's kitchen and that raised hell. Hai Yo had to make her a small chef token and persuade her that she no longer needed to experiment, as she was already a master chef to get her out of his kitchen. That trick worked for a week, not more. Riou received tons of letters of complaints in the suggestion box every time Nanami stepped into the kitchen. 

The MC announced their names and Hai Yo and Riou stepped out into a large stage where two sets of cooking ware were set up and a long table stood behind them. Still oblivious to what was happening, Riou asked Hai Yo,

"What is that table for?"

"Why, Lord Riou! This is a cooking contest! Therefore judges will be present! It's common sense now, isn't it?"

_A cooking WHAT??_ Putting Nanami out of the way, Riou has got to be the worst cook ever in Suikoden history! Shouldn't Hai Yo ask for Gremio's help instead? Riou's face turned purple immediately, longing to run back to his room and sleep his hunger away. Hai Yo saw his longing and smiled brightly,

"Nothing to worry about, Lord Riou! I will be doing all the cooking and as you are my assistant, I'll tell you what to do and nothing will go wrong!"

The great hero of the entire game was to be a small assistant for a chef in a side quest contest...what will the creators think of next?? Riou agreed, knowing there was no backing out and that listening to Hai Yo was the only way to get through this ridiculous game. He just hoped the judges were nice ones.

"And now, for the judges!"

Millie came out and sat on the first seat, surprisingly, without Bonaparte. Either she left it in the care of someone else or it had run away again, and the latter seemed more likely. Riou felt a spark of hope, as he knew what sort of delicacies Millie liked. During his short travel with her (he couldn't stand Bonaparte so he had to kick her out of the party) he realized she like sweet foods. Riou threw his hope away the moment he saw who came up next. Sarcastic, icy, grumpy Luc. He could not imagine how they managed to persuade him to join this contest, but Riou figured he was unwilling with that frown on his face. _Great, we can forget about getting full points... _The next judge almost made Riou jump into the lake. A very noisy Gadget appeared and sat next to Luc. Luc was thinking the same thing as Riou, though he was more expressionless. What kind of food would please a machine? _No, does Gadget even eat our foods at all? I thought it just drinks oil! _Last came Sid, sniggering as he got to his seat and scaring most of the children in the audience away. Riou felt despair overtake him. He looked at Hai Yo and knew he wasn't alone. Hai Yo was smiling defiantly, as if to challenge all those judges in front of him, but his glands betrayed him as sweat was pouring down his shirt. Riou felt no assurance, but he decided to give it his best. As they were discussing which recipes to use, Riou realized they had a tiny selection to choose from. _This is all my fault. I should have collected all the recipes on the way... _Nevertheless, he was very sure when he chose sweet croquettes and fried ice cream for the appetizer and dessert. At least he could please one judge. As for the main, Hai Yo chose Tai-Chili style fish, as it was the most famous dish in the restaurant.

It was time to start. Both Hai Yo and Riou were busy scurrying about the table and preparing the meals. Riou didn't have to do much while making the croquettes. Hai Yo did all the work, all Riou did was stand by the oven and wait for it to be done. However, Riou had to chop vegetables in super fast speed to prevent Hai Yo from boiling him as well as fry the ice cream while Hai Yo is decorating the fish. All in all, time was up and the meals were done just in time.

The croquettes were great with Millie and surprisingly, with Sid. However, both Luc and Gadget gave 1 each to the appetizer. The opposing chef made Tomato Salad and that received an average of 4. Riou could be seen holding his pink hat tightly as he waited for the rest of the results. Millie winked at him. Next came the fish. A strong smell of spices emitted from the judges table and they knew what dish they were looking at. It was their all time favorite. An average of 4 and a 5 from Sid was given to Hai Yo's spicy delicacy. The man in blue's main course was Pineapple Rice, which received a dull average of 3. Next was the fried ice cream. Apparently, this was Luc's favorite as well. A high 4 was given along with Sid and Millie gave a 5, but Gadget gave it a 1 for it was too cold for his mechanical body. The opposing team had shortcake for dessert. Of course, it received full points from glucose-lover Millie and an average of 3 from the others. 

Riou wrecked his brains to calculate the score and the drum roll in the background wasn't helping. He calculated that they had won by 5 points and prayed his math had not failed him. The results were out. Hai Yo received 44 points while his rival received...42! Riou was both happy that they won and disappointed that his math was horrible. Hai Yo was beaming with relief and patted Riou roughly at the back,

"Phew! That was a close call, but we made it! I knew I could count on you, Lord Riou!"   

Riou smiled feebly as he longed for his food. Hai Yo beamed and told Riou food would be served as soon as Hai Yo was done with his rival. Apparently, Hai Yo was to receive a new recipe if he defeated the man in blue and when he did, he would use it in his menu. So Riou sat starving and exhausted, but happy nonetheless, for he found out that his cooking skills were better than Nanami's. Two waitresses approached Riou's table and put down several bowls in front of him. 

"Complimentary from Chef Hai Yo, Lord Riou. Enjoy!"

Riou wrinkled his eyebrows as he stared at the bowls in front of him. They were tomato soup, tomato miso soup, raw tomato with salt, tomato salad and red-hot tomatoes. Hai Yo meant it when he said he would use it in his menu. One of waitresses scurried back to Riou's table with a glass in her hand. _Tomato juice, how could I forget? _Riou felt his appetite vaporize, but he took the liberty to sample each dish. Either they were not bad or he was extremely hungry, as Riou managed to finish most of the tomato dishes and felt revitalized. He got up and was about to leave the restaurant when Nanami appeared from the kitchen looking for him. 

"Where is Riou? I was going to let him try my new tomato and pickles soup!"

Without a tint of doubt or guilt, Riou fled from the restaurant. He was not going to eat another tomato for a long time. 

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Author's Notes: Thank you for all your reviews and comments. In case I run out of ideas (which I haven't as yet), I would appreciate it if you would give me some suggestions or ideas that I can write about! Thanks~ Coming up next: More fighting scenes!


	5. United We Stand, Divided We Fall

**Life Is But A Game**

Author's Notes: Firstly, I do not own any of the characters in this fanfiction. They belong to Konami's Genso Suikoden 2 and maybe 1 as well. Everything in this fanfic belongs to the game. I just elaborate on it...

Here's a fic on how hard it is to be a Suikoden 2 hero. This shows the different scenarios in the hero's journey and he had to deal with it. There may be some Out-Of-Characterness and some scenarios may not be accurate. I love the game and I have nothing against certain characters, so please don't feel offended if I insulted your favorite character. Btw, the Hero's name here is Riou.

_____________________________

Riou had never regretted this much in his life before. When he returned to the castle, he was going to have a long talk with Shu. In fact, his guts told him that this was all Shu's idea, no, all of those who were left behind in the castle must've been involved with this. Sighing heavily for the seventieth time, Riou turned around to look at an annoying blonde pestering a man in blue, who wished he could be dead right then. Nina. A worthless nuisance who was thick-faced enough to go to the men's rooms asking for Flik. Everyone else in the party was as sick of her as Riou was, calling Flik names like "Dear" or "Love", which turned to be disgusting instead of affectionate. Riou pitied the poor man. His one true love had passed away and though Riou never met her, he had heard she was a great woman from Viktor. However, that was the only thing that didn't get into Nina's head. Flik loved someone else and he had no plans of changing his heart, yet Nina kept chasing him despite the age difference of more than ten years. Riou never stopped wondering why he allowed Nina to join them in the first place.

A sudden sound effect of battle appeared and Flik thanked the gods for this distraction. As they moved into battle positions Nina insisted on standing behind Flik so she could see him fight clearly. Flik cursed silently as their enemies revealed themselves. Mirages. These enemies were tough as they had good armor. It would be a long battle. As usual Riou's attack was the greatest, next came Flik and surprisingly, Freed Y. Nina was a horrible fighter, if you could call her that. She would always miss to hit an enemy, so here she was just told to heal the wounded. Hix and Tengaar's Unite was a good one, killing off a Mirage instantly. Their unite came from their love and partnership, with one casting a spell and the other plunging in for the kill. Feeling very jealous, Nina decided to turn things her way. 

The next round started with Riou finishing off another enemy. He was getting better at this, even though he did not like it. As he waited for Flik to attack he heard Nina shout,

"Groupie Attack!"

Riou and the rest of the group watched in horror as magnified hearts appeared around Nina floating towards Flik. In order to avoid them hitting him, Flik dashed to the enemy hitting him with all he got. Smiling, Nina flung her book at the enemy and it vanished! Nina actually hit something...with a BOOK!! Stupefied, Riou remained silent as the group's EXP and money were counted, not noticing his leveling up along with the rest of the group. Nina jumped up with triumph and tried to hug Flik,

"Flik honey!! I knew we would make a perfect team! We scored even more than Hix and Tengaar!"

The mentioned couple didn't bother to retaliate. Hix was as confused as Freed and Tengaar just stared at Nina with disgust. Flik, on the other hand, was shaking. He felt like he had just escaped a demon, only to run back to hell. Embarrassed and appalled, he felt like he had disgraced Odessa and his sword. He didn't even bother to shrug Nina off his arm. He just wanted to die, literally, when he noticed Riou looking at him in a what-the-hell-was-that manner. Flik shook his head vigorously and stared at his hands thinking of what he had done. Everyone, other than Nina, was thinking of the same thing. If Viktor had seen that, not only was he going to laugh for the entire journey, but also Flik would never be able to hold his head high anywhere again.

Riou could feel the party's morale going at a 90 degrees drop. Perhaps Nina wasn't the good-for-nothing they thought she would be, but her Unite shocked them all. Just then Nina fell face first to the ground. Apparently, flinging a book caused Nina to be unbalanced. _Well, maybe she was useless after all..._ Riou vowed silently never to bring her along with them again. 

______________

Riou looked at the young man in front of him. He had always questioned himself all this time, but now he was going to get the answer. Finally, he was to meet the first hero who had gone through all the pains of leading more than a hundred people to battle. Tir McDohl, the hero of the first game, fought the Scarlet Moon Empire and established the great Toran Republic when he was not much older than Riou now. 

Here he was, fishing at Banner Village and guarded by his...was he a bodyguard? He sounded more of a nanny to Riou. Nevertheless, the blonde man with a scar on his face seemed reliable and warm in a way, but he just wouldn't let Riou meet McDohl. Seeing how close the two were reminded Riou of Jowy. Shaking his thoughts out of his head, Riou tried to find a way to speak to McDohl. Therefore, a kid called Kou, who was a big fan of Riou and dressed like him, agreed to help Riou distract Gremio for him. Riou walked up to the fishing pier and the young man turned around. He looked extremely young if not for his eyes. The two heroes looked at each other in recognition that they share the same role, the same destiny in a historic war. Flik and Viktor came up and smiled fondly at their old friend and leader. McDohl's eyebrows rose as he thought they did not make it back in the castle, Viktor grinned,

"You didn't think that we'd be killed so easily now, did you McDohl? Looking good!"

"..."

The quiet young man smiled for the first time since Riou saw him and he noticed the warmth and fondness in his smile. Flik bowed lightly greeting,

"It's been a long time, McDohl."

"..."

This was a heart-warming reunion among friends, comrades at war and Riou could only watch from aside. Before they could talk much, Gremio returned looking frantic. Kou had been kidnapped! Riou cursed himself for allowing the kid on his own and wanted to save him when McDohl grabbed his arm. No words were spoken, but Riou knew that McDohl wanted to help. Riou could not have felt more honored. McDohl had decided to help save the kid with Riou, who was staring in awe of the aura surrounding the owner of Soul Eater. Though Gremio was not much older than Flik or Viktor, he had retired as a fighter and was perfecting his skills as a chef now. Gremio bid them good luck and caution as they stepped into the silent forest.

There was only one open path and so the party followed the road, shouting out for Kou while ridding enemies. There were tigers, samurais (?) and even trios of girls who looked pretty cute. Riou did not know why they were categorized as enemies, but he really shouldn't question too much about their creators. It had been great to fight alongside McDohl. He was a great fighter, his staff being almost as powerful as Viktor's sword. He was also a great morale booster, as the whole party looked happy in a way. Flik and Viktor were glad to fight with McDohl again, while Nanami and Eilie seemed to enjoy the company of two young and handsome heroes. They entered yet another battle zone, this time they faced six...small enemies.

Named do-re-mi elves, they were cute and cuddly in bright and colorful clothes, bouncing happily in front of Riou and the party. Both Nanami and Eilie shrieked in delight as they saw how cute these things were and wondered if they could keep them, while Flik and Viktor eyed each other warily. _Why must we fight these cute harmless-looking...things? _Riou sighed heavily and saw that McDohl just looked at him sympathetically. Somehow Riou knew that McDohl had once experienced the same thing as Riou; leading a bunch of questionable lot, fighting a long and grievous war, losing many loved ones, carrying true runes...and battling the weirdest enemies on earth. Suddenly a certain question stood out of the many questions he had been waiting to ask McDohl appeared in his head.

"Erm, McDohl?"

McDohl turned to look at Riou, who was shifting about, wondering whether this was a good time to ask his question.

"I need to ask you a question. Why are you-OOF!"

Do~~

Before he could pour his heart out, Riou was attacked by one of the elves'...sonic wave. 

Re~~

A second one hit him and pushed him to the ground. A third came, but McDohl used his staff to intervene the attack, thus destroying the note and saving Riou's life. Apparently, each time they attack they would emit a note, each enemy a different sound. Riou got back into his battle pose completely baffled and embarrassed. He seemed unharmed, but he almost freaked out when he checked his HP bar. More than half was gone and another elf was aiming at hitting him. Riou wasn't fast enough to heal and he prepared for the worst. He was not KO'ed, thanks to Eilie. She was the fastest in the group and decided to give up her attack to heal her beloved leader. Both Viktor and Flik united to kill one elf, but there were five more. They needed to get rid of these enemies quickly as their sonic waves were dangerous. Riou no longer felt pity for these little things and the girls no longer thought they were cute.

Do~~Re~~Mi~~

Eilie was low on HP and Riou blamed himself for not leveling her up more. He was going to use his Family Unite when he realized there was another unite, the Double Leader Unite. He looked at McDohl who nodded and felt a surge of pride. He was going to unite with the hero from the first game! As they pummeled their enemies Riou thought of his unite with Jowy. Perhaps he was not as close to McDohl as to Jowy, but their unite worked great nonetheless. The elves vanished, leaving behind a sound set for Connell's collection, which Riou deemed useless. Riou learnt from this battle to never underestimate cute and harmless looking enemies, and that had saved his life many times later in the game. 

As they set off forward to look for Kou, Riou turned to ask McDohl the question, in which he had been rudely interrupted before, again.

"Erm McDohl, about the question, why are you so silent? And why is it that I can understand you without you saying anything?"

McDohl looked at Riou in a leveled gaze. It seemed that many had asked the exact same question to him many times before, and it seemed that this was the only time when he would open his mouth,

"...Because I was programmed that way."

With a slight smile, McDohl moved on to join the others in their search. Riou stood dazed. _He spoke...for the first time...I heard McDohl's voice! _Coming out from his trance, Riou moved on, thinking about what McDohl had said. Now how was Riou supposed to change fate if it had been programmed already?

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Author's Notes: Wanna know what Riou's other questions were? Will they ever find Kou? I'll be continuing this episode in a new chapter next time, so check back for more next time! Thank you for all your reviews and comments. Keep them coming! Up next: Some of the romances among Suikoden 2's 108 stars.


	6. Love Is But A Game

**Life Is But A Game**

Author's Notes: Firstly, I do not own any of the characters in this fanfiction. They belong to Konami's Genso Suikoden 2 and maybe 1 as well. Everything in this fanfic belongs to the game. I just elaborate on it...

Here's a fic on how hard it is to be a Suikoden 2 hero. This shows the different scenarios in the hero's journey and he had to deal with it. There may be some Out-Of-Characterness and some scenarios may not be accurate. I love the game and I have nothing against any character, so please don't feel offended if I insulted your favorite character. Btw, the Hero's name here is Riou.

*NEW! This chapter is rated PG-13 for adult themes...I think*

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It was a nice warm day in the middle of spring. The sky was cloudless, the trees swayed gently to the wind and the birds chirped happily together. It was the season for love, and not even a massive war could stop it from coming. A hooded lady walked with grace across a great hall and sat in front of a crystal ball. War, death, destiny and fate were usually on her mind, but that was such a special day that even the most troubled mind was at ease. She gazed into her crystal ball as it started to blur and smiled.

It was pretty much a normal day for Riou, perhaps one with good weather. Shu had announced that it would be their only day off before they fight Highland again and thus Riou planned to walk around his castle and see how it had developed. Riou noticed that a fourth level was under construction _Perhaps I can finally have my suite..._ and decided to start from Nanami's room, which was opposite his. Knocking three times with no answer, Riou left for the stairs puzzling about her sister's whereabouts. 

On the way down, he noticed a man in blue sitting by a window. Flik was cleaning his sword and caressing it with his gaze. Riou unconsciously hid behind the stairs like a curious kid eavesdropping. His sword Odessa+, which was named after the woman he loved, was glimmering with pride. Flik stared at it with his thoughts a million miles away, as though reminiscing the past with Odessa. Riou felt his heart ache for such a tragic romance for his comrade and was about to step forward to comfort Flik when he saw something that nearly made him faint. Flik had lifted the sword and kissed it, passionately. The ache Riou felt was replaced with nausea, and he quickly made his way down to the next floors. Flik, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice his leader and had now embraced his shining weapon. 

"Odessa..."

Riou would now have to classify Flik as one of the many questionable comrades in his army. He was in front of the meeting hall, but as it was a holiday, there would be no one there. Gazing into the blue crystal ball beside the hall, Riou made a save before continuing his walk around the castle. It was best to take precautions. Who knew when the next chef would attack, or when a fire would break out from Adlai's lab? The suggestion box took Riou's attention and he went to read the letters. It was empty. _That's odd...usually there would be at least one complaint or weird letter... _Passing by Shu's room, Riou noticed his door was open. Being a cautious strategist, Shu would never have left the door to his private chamber open, thus Riou approached it feeling suspicious. Good thing he had saved first. Peeking through the small gap left by the door, he saw movement inside the room. Someone had placed something on Shu's table hurriedly and scurried towards the door. Before Riou had a chance to hide or step away, Apple dashed out of the room onto him. 

"Lord Riou!!"

Shocked and somehow embarrassed, Apple apologized in a hurry and explained that Shu asked her to hand him the report for the previous battle. Afraid that the leader would go inside, Apple shut Shu's door and excused herself. Apple was a nice girl and hardworking too. She was also very shy. Somehow, Riou suspected that what Apple placed on Shu's table was not a war report, but it would not be anything dangerous either, so he had nothing to worry about. 

Passing by Teresa's locked door Riou noticed the mayor herself dashing across the corridor towards him. She was holding a big shopping bag tightly against her chest and turned around occasionally to see if anyone was looking. When she saw Lord Riou she almost shrieked, but kept her cool and stopped a few meters before him. As Riou greeted her, he realized that Lady Teresa of Greenhill was blushing.

"Good morning, Lord Riou."

She passed him cautiously and before she fled into her room, she whispered,

"Thank you for your advice."

Baffled, Riou blinked and tried to remember what advice he had given to Teresa that made her act so flustered. In fact, he could not remember talking to Teresa outside the meeting hall ever since she arrived. Feeling that this was not the last weird thing to see that day, Riou made a quick save before anything else could happen. 

He journeyed further down the hall towards Klaus' room. His room was empty and Riou felt rather disappointed. He had intended to challenge Klaus to a game of chess to spend the afternoon, but it was not to be. However, he could see movement outside Klaus' balcony and squinted his eyes. Klaus was present after all, but he was already playing chess...with Sierra! Knowing Sierra, she would not do anything troublesome, like wrecking her mind for a chess game, and she would NOT sit out under the hot sun unless she went to battle. But here she was, sitting opposite Klaus in a game of chess, with a subtle look of bliss on her face. Riou could not make out if Klaus was blushing from the heat or from Sierra's foot rubbing onto his. _This is becoming a really strange day..._

Deciding to go get some air, Riou headed for the shopping district of his castle. Things seemed more normal down here. People bustling around to buy weapons or armory, kids playing around with Shiro, women gossiping at a corner and men lining up to waste their money on useless runes so they could have a close look at Jeanne. Passing by a flower stall Riou saw Tengaar dragging Hix towards the white roses section.

"Look Hix, aren't these beautiful?"

It was an obvious hint that Tengaar wanted Hix to buy her those flowers, especially when she had picked up a dozen in her arms. Hix wanted to surprise Tengaar with a praise that those flowers are nothing compared to her, but because he was Hix, it came out as,

"Yeah, too bad those flowers aren't you..."

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Riou just stood there feeling empathy for the warrior as Tengaar threw the flowers at him and scuttled off, leaving Hix to pay for the thrown flowers. They were a sweet couple, even if they didn't look or sound like one. 

Riou suddenly remembered that he needed to get some supplies from Alex before he fought again and he might as well do it now when he got the time. So, off to the free-of-charge inn he went only to find little Pete sitting behind Alex's counter. Asked where his parents were, Pete happily chirped,

"Papa said he has something to give Mama, so they went to the room down the hall. They have not come back yet...Want me to call them?"

Riou could feel his face burning as a million thoughts passed his mind as to what Alex and Hilda were doing in that room, and none of them was innocent. He didn't want to disturb them, but Pete had already screamed down the hallway,

"PAPA!! Mister Riou is here!"

A thud followed by ample shuffling with a muffled "Oh my god!" was heard from that closed door and soon, a disheveled Alex came out. He smiled sheepishly as he stepped towards the now furiously blushing Riou behind his counter. Not long afterwards, Hilda appeared from the room as neat and tidy as ever, with a calm and warm smile as he greeted Lord Riou. Riou bought everything he needed and fled the inn. Though he was still young, he knew when adults needed their 'adult time' from none other than his pal, Jowy. Grandpa Genkaku never told Riou or Nanami about adult life or love or such...it would have been really weird to hear such things from him anyway.

Something was in the air that day, but Riou could not name it. The next few things Riou saw confirmed the fact that whatever it was, it was contagious. Upon re-entering his castle, Riou saw Yoshino feeding Freed Y his lunch lovingly and one could literally see hearts floating above them. Around the corner was Jess' room, and Riou noticed a distinct smell coming from it. Riou cursed his curiosity as he saw what was inside. Everyone teased Jess of over-protecting Lady Annabelle, but his room showed he worshipped her. In fact, he seemed to be her stalker or something. Hundreds of Annabelle's portraits were hung on the wall and a small shrine was dedicated to her. An aromatic incense was lit to enlighten the room and...it would be too creepy to go on. Riou wondered if he should put Jess in the dungeon for being a maniac or send him home before anyone hurts him, but decided to leave the room and let it be. 

Heading down to the docks wasn't a good idea, for Riou found himself observing the most horrifying event ever occurred. _The two octopuses, what were their names again? Abizoah and Rulodia...I think...are mating on my docks?_ Everyone on the docks, including Yam Koo, was caught in those tentacles as those creatures swirled around the port in their passion. Riou was quick enough to avoid being entangled, but he would have preferred to not see it at all. Though there were no casualties, all the men's mentality would be permanently affected.

Riou dared himself to continue his tour around the castle. Passing the restaurant, Riou's nose became ill as something burnt contaminated the air. He could hear people coughing and gasping in the restaurant when Nanami emerged from the kitchen. Riou could guess that she caused this smell and whatever that was in the box in her hands was her experiment. 

"Riou!"

Nanami was both shocked and glad to see Riou in front of her, while her brother felt less than excited. He was ready to flee to Highland if she was to ask him to try the food (if you could call it _food_) she made. However, Riou did not have to make the trip. Nanami's face turned pink as she asked Riou shyly,

"Um, Riou, have you seen Sir Camus?"

Surprised at Nanami's target, Riou just bluntly pointed towards the Knights' quarters as he watched his sister hopped towards it. Riou sighed in relief as well as pity for the poor red knight. Camus had no idea what was coming. Hai Yo came out complaining about Nanami again, but Riou could not believe his ears when he found out what Nanami was making. She was merely making chocolates and she turned the kitchen into a pigsty. _But why chocolates?_

Riou explored the rest of the castle and found that there was at least one place running normally; the library. The kobolds, led by GenGen, and ninjas, led by Mondo, were training in the dojo. Walking towards the lake, Riou discovered with great surprise that McDohl had stayed in his castle for once. He was fishing on the bank of the lake, (even though the fish had all died from food poisoning) and looked peaceful. Riou was glad to be able to chat with someone not affected by the _something _in the air when he noticed a pink fabric sticking out from the tree branch above McDohl. _No wonder Kasumi was nowhere to be found..._

It was late evening and shops were closing up. Riou guessed it was time to get back to the castle and saw Hix passing by with a huge bouquet of white roses. He probably wanted to apologize to Tengaar. Riou couldn't help feeling nosy that day and followed Hix to the lake. Apparently, Hix and Tengaar had replaced McDohl and Kasumi. While Hix blushed at the large gift from Tengaar, she happily accepted the roses and cried,

"Oh Hix! You shouldn't have spent so much on these roses, but thank you!"

And good old Hix had to ruin it all with,

"It was nothing, Tengaar! I waited for the closing sale to get them all for you!"

Hix emphasized on the "ALL-FOR-YOU" part, but Tengaar only listened until the "CLOSING-SALE" part. Furious, she threw a lightning bolt at Hix with his present at hand, then threw the roses and stormed off. Again, Riou could smell the whiff of burnt chocolates. They were a sweet couple indeed.

It was time for dinner and everyone headed for the castle. Riou bumped onto Chaco and the little Winger spat a long chain of curses when he noticed he was cursing at the strongest fellow in the castle. Apologizing hastily, Chaco fled into the castle, dropping a note on the ground. Riou picked it up to return it to him when he noticed that the letter had been directed to HIM, from Lady TERESA!

Wide-eyed, Riou opened the letter and stood horrified at what it contained. If Chaco had taken this letter, then the lady was to be a victim...of a horrifying prank! Chasing after the winged brat, Riou knew it was tougher to make him confess than to catch him. When Chaco was cornered, he looked at Riou innocently,

"Why, our mighty hero Lord Riou, I have never seen that letter before! What are you talking about?"

Chaco was a kid, and like any kid, he could be scared.

"Chaco, if you do not tell me what you did, I would have you moved to Sid's quarters."

Immediately the Winger clutched Riou's knee as no one knew, or wanted to know, what Sid will do to his roommates while they sleep. 

"Alright! Alright! I give up! It was just a practical joke! No harm is done! Just PLEASE don't send me to stay with Sid!"

Riou was mortified to hear what Chaco wrote to Teresa using his name. Immediately he fled into the castle, making a mental note to punish Chaco somehow. Perhaps he would tell Sid how much Chaco admired him... He rushed past the stone tablet, vaguely noticing Luc summoning his true rune to blow away a raving herd of fanatic girls rushing towards him. Riou knocked Adlai on the way up the stairs, causing the old scientist to shout in anger,

"Blasphemy! What's the point of building an escalator when all you do is run up and down the stairs? Ingrates!"

Riou hoped he was not too late. Chaco's 'innocent' little joke would not only ruin his reputation, but also humiliate both Lady Teresa and...Shin! On his way up the stairs, he was cursing himself for bringing this upon him. Why had he recruited all these atrocities in his army? WHY did he listen to Shu who insisted he recruit all the stars of destiny?? As Teresa's room drew near Riou saw Shin enter it. _NOOO!!!! _It was too late. Soon he would hear screaming and shouting and he would be blamed. Several seconds after he was petrified, Riou noticed there was neither shouts nor scream, just the noise of the activities downstairs. When his body had the courage to move, he stepped silently towards Teresa's room. Either both Teresa and Shin fainted or... Riou had to find out. He pushed his ear flat on the door of her room and tried to make out noises. Before long, Riou's face was hot. If someone could see him now, he would be described as 'as red as a tomato', literally. Jumping away from the 'burning' door, Riou dashed away from it. _Er-um...well, since the prank did not do them any harm, then I shall forget about it... _With that, he walked awkwardly along the corridor only to find Shu's door open once again. _Not Apple again... _Indeed, it was not Apple, but Shu himself. However strong his mind was, he could not escape from whatever was in the air. Riou's curiosity had bested him once more. He stood there, as quiet as a mouse, and observed as his strategist picked up the little box that Apple had placed on his table. Shu opened it and Riou's noticed his eyebrows shoot up, followed by a pint of red on his cheeks only an elf could see. Hesitantly, he reached for the content and took a small cube out. It was a chocolate. _What's with chocolates today? _Riou watched in surprise as Shu popped the piece into his mouth and smiled. Riou stepped back and walked away. It was too bizarre to go on. 

Feeling extremely exhausted, Riou headed towards his room for a nap. Perhaps this funny thing in the air would disappear tomorrow and things would be back to normal. Everyone would be serious and Riou would go to battle. Riou's head was spinning and he wished that someone would tell him what was happening. Little did he know that he was in for a surprise. A shorthaired gypsy girl was waiting outside his room with a big red box, ready to spread the _something_ in the air to him and have him eat...chocolates. 

Smiling, the hooded lady cleared her crystal ball and stared up at the sea of stars. Leknaat gazed at the stars of destiny in the vast sky. Everyone deserved a day away from all worries, a day of love.

"Valentine's is such a wonderful day..."

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Author's Notes: First off, thank you for your reviews!! Well, a lot of things don't make sense here, especially the castle structure, but that's not important. I guess this should be posted next Feb 14th, but oh well, can't wait. Hope you guys like it. And oh, about Lady Teresa's letter, you can find it in some of the online suggestion box list (I'm not telling :p), as for Chaco's reply, it is up to you to be as creative as you want (wink wink!) Coming up next: More weird battles with weird comrades!


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